Forever Is A Long Time To Forget
by VampireKiss08
Summary: After Season 4 ended - Jude returns after a year away in London. She tries to avoid Tommy at all costs, believing he has a new woman and that he's angry with her from leaving him behind. Can she separate herself from him, or will they fall into their familiar pattern of love, lies, and music? Disclaimer: I do not own or have any ownership of any parts or characters of Instant Star.
1. Chapter 1

_There he is._ I thought to myself as I stood outside the café, watching him idly stir a mug of coffee. It's been a year since I had seen his face. The length of his jaw, the deep color of his eyes, and his always _perfect_ hair. I've missed him.

Anticipation began to build in my gut and I moved to grab the door handle, until a woman sat down across from him. Tommy sat up straighter and flashed a wide smile to the unfamiliar woman. I took in the sight of her; shoulder-length chestnut hair curled softly, creamy complexion, and dark brown eyes. She was dressed impeccably in a black knee-length skirt with a navy blue blouse and black stilettos.

I couldn't deny, this woman was beautiful.

I glance down at myself in my favorite pair of jeans, Ramones t-shirt and converse. _Yeah, I can't compare with that_.

I looked back through the window and the two of them, then just at Tommy. _He seems so happy, I'm too late._

Sighing, I turn away and make my way down the busy street, taking in the familiar sights and sounds around me. A year away in London and so much as changed. Faces passed me as I weaved in and out of the moving crowds, headed towards the familiar sign I've grown to miss. G-Major Records.

Although I left, hoping to make something of myself out in the U.K., G-Major was my home. The once place I could turn to when nowhere else was enough. _Home away from home_. I grabbed the door handle and made my way into to the lobby.

At the receptionist's desk sat a petite blonde girl who looked frantic, almost fearful. Peaking my interest, I headed over to her, I needed to make sure Darius was in anyway. As I approached her, I could hear her muttering to herself.

"He's going to kill me. Haven't even been here a month and I've already fucked up. He's going to kill me. No, he's going to fire me, THEN kill me." She muttered.

I approached her carefully before asking, "Are you alright?"

Her eyes shot up to me, "Does it look like I'm alright?" She snapped before returning to searching her desk. Looking defeated, the girl sat back in her chair with a sigh. Remembering I was standing in front of her desk, she looked at me. Recognition spread across her face and she stood up so violently her chair fell over backwards

"Ms. Harrison, I'm so sorry! I didn't recognize you; please forgive me for my attitude!" The poor girl squeaked apologetically.

I smiled sincerely to her, "You can call me Jude, and don't worry about it. We've all had our bad days. Are you alright though?"

The girl smiled weakly and returned her chair to its original position before slowly taking a seat in it. "No, I lost a VERY important file Darius was looking for. He's expecting it in the next 20 minutes and I can't find it anywhere! I'm so fired." She dumped her face into her hands.

I couldn't help but feel for the girl, I knew how Darius could be. Vicious. I sidled up to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. "It'll be alright…?" I trailed off, I didn't know her name. She seemed to sense that dilemma also and raised her head a little so I could hear her.

"My name is Kaily."

I smiled at her, "Kaily, it'll be okay. Is Darius in his office? I need to speak with him, maybe I can smooth things over for you while I'm in there."

Kaily raised her head fully to look at me, hope filling her face. "You'd do that for me?"

"Yes," I replied, "but you have to promise me something."

She nodded her head furiously, "Yes! Yes, anything!"

I giggled, "Promise me you won't let Darius get to you. He can be a tyrant, but you don't need to live in fear around him. Just be honest."

Kaily let out a slow breath but nodded again, "I can do that. Thank you, Jude. Oh, and yeah, Darius has a little bit of time before his meeting. Go ahead in."

I thanked her and headed towards Darius' office. Not even bothering to knock, I walked in. Darius was on the phone, furiously arguing with whoever was on the other line. I stood in the door way waiting for him to notice my presence, smirking at his haughty attitude to the poor soul he was reaming out.

After a moment or so, Darius glanced up towards the doorway where I stood and did a double take. I giggled into my hand at his surprise.

"I'll call you back." He said to the person on the phone before aggressively hanging up the phone with a million dollar smile. He got up from his desk and walked around to meet me in the middle of the office. He swept me up in an awkward hug before releasing me. "Jude Harrison! What brings you back to this side of the pond?"

I took a seat in one of the plush chairs in front of his desk and started picking at a loose thread on the hem of my shirt. "Darius, I need to come back." I said with a sigh.

"Oh?" He replied, retaking his seat across the desk from me. "What happened out in London?"

I avoided his eyes as I found a way to answer him, "It didn't work out. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be." I finally looked at him. "Darius, this place is home to me. It's where I made my first album, where I felt at home. I still DO feel like this is home. When I was there, it almost felt cold. There was no familiarity."

Darius looked at me for what felt like a long time before he finally spoke. "Jude," he sighed. "I don't know what to tell you. You left here FOR London, and now you want back? I don't know, I'm not sure I have the studio time for you."

"Darius," I quickly interjected. "I don't need studio time right now. I just need some place to start again. I haven't written anything since I left. Please Darius, let me come back. I can work my way back up into the studio. I'll do anything."

He was thoughtful for a moment before smiling, "Alright, you can come back. You're on a probationary period. You'll do anything and everything I tell you to, no exceptions."

I smiled widely, jumping up from my seat. "Oh thank you, Darius! I appreciate this more than you will ever know. I can start right now, anything you need me to do?"

He chuckled but shook his head. "No, you can reacquaint yourself to the studios today. I want you in tomorrow at 9 a.m. SHARP for work. Understood?"

Nodding, I smiled again to him. "Thanks again." I turned and headed to the door to exit before I remembered Kaily. "Darius," I turned to him. "I like that girl you've got as a receptionist. Right now she's having a stroke about losing a document you need for a meeting. Please take pity on her."

"Yeah, yeah." Darius said. "Anything else?"

I thought for a moment. "Yes. Can you refrain from telling Tommy I'm here? I'm not ready to face him right now, and I'm sure he isn't too keen on seeing me. Especially after I broke our engagement and left him for London."

Darius nodded at me and waved me away, "Yeah, I won't say anything. Now go, I have work to do. Remember, 9 a.m. SHARP Harrison."

I gave him a parting smile and left his office. _Oh yeah,_ I thought to myself. _This is going to be fun._

Thank you for reading, this is a work in progress. Please review! More to come soon!


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

I headed towards Studio A, hoping I could see if anyone was in there. Luckily, there was. I found Kwest at the soundboard with a set of headphones on, bobbing his head to what he was listening to, adjusting various knobs to his liking.

I snuck up behind him and covered his eyes.

"Really Jazmine? You know I hate your childish games. Cut it out." He spun around and whipped off his headphones. Noticing that I was NOT this 'Jazmine' girl, he jumped up and scooped me into a bone-crushing hug. "Harrison! What are you doing here?" He released me with a smile.

"I'm back." I told him laughing at his energy. _Yup, definitely missed him too. _"Well, kind of."

His brows furrowed. "Kind of?"

I took a seat in a chair next to his, and he followed suit. "Yeah," I started. "It didn't work out like I thought it was going to. So I came back. I just spoke with Darius.." I trailed off.

Kwest frowned, "Uh oh, what happened? Is he making you do some ridiculous shit again? Anymore random shows he's expecting you to do?"

I shook my head. "No. Well, I don't know. He said he can't give me studio time right now, but I'm gonna work my way back up to it. So he's going to put me to work apparently, he wants me to come in at 9 tomorrow morning."

"9 in the morning?" His eyebrows shot up. "Does he remember how your schedule works? Last time I knew, Jude Harrison could barely get up at 11 in the morning. Forget about trying to get up for work at 9."

"Shut up!" I laughed, playfully punching his shoulder. "I've been pretty good with my sleep schedule lately, thank you very much."

Kwest shook his head with a laugh and turned to face the soundboard to continue his work. I could see him glance at me out of the corner of his eye as he turned a few knobs in front of him. "Have you talked to Tommy since you been back?"

I sighed and turned my chair to face the recording booth that was currently empty of any artist. "No, and I plan to keep it that way for as long as I can." I could see Kwest start to ask me '_Why?'_ I cut him off. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet. After last year, when I just up and left. I broke his heart, Kwest. I don't think he'll want to see me anytime soon."

At that moment, I needed to be somewhere else; anywhere else really. I knew, if I stayed any longer, Kwest would start asking ridiculous questions that I wasn't ready to answer yet. Out in the mail lobby of G-Major, I saw new artists buzzing around, some sat on the couches writing in journals, others playing instruments idly. I smiled to myself remembering all the songs I've written here. There's so much inspiration around you when you took a moment to notice it all.

I knew I wasn't going to get anything done here today, so I figured I'd head home. As I walked past the reception desk towards the front door, I nodded to Kaily with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Have a good day, sweetie!"

She smiled at me with a little wave. "See you tomorrow! Also, thank you for talking to Darius for me."

"You're welcome!" I called back to her and pushed the door open.

Since my Mustang was back in the garage at home, I had to call a cab. I didn't mind, it was just an inconvenience. I took out my phone and scrolled through my contacts to find 'Taxi'. Before I was about to select it, I saw the name directly below. _Tommy_. I still had his number; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to delete it from my phone.

I shook my head to clear all thoughts of him, and hit the button to call the taxi. After a few rings I got the dispatcher who gave me a 10 minute wait. I leaned against the wall of the building and scanned the busy intersection. People rushed around me, in a hurry to get to their destinations. Cars and trucks came and went at the intersection; stray honks filled the air from impatient drivers. I let a small smile pull the corners of my mouth. As lovely as London was, it didn't compare to _home_.

A few minutes later and my taxi pulled up. I opened the rear passenger door and slid in, giving the driver my address. He gave me a nod and pulled out into traffic. I looked out the window and let my mind wander back to _him_. Tommy was seeing a woman. A woman who was undoubtedly beautiful and I couldn't compare. I wondered how long they had been going together and decided that I didn't want to know. I was afraid that if I knew anything about their relationship, I would fall apart. I still loved him, but he had moved on.

The cab finally pulled up to the house and I noticed Sadie's green VW bug in the drive way. _Oh great, here we go._ I definitely didn't want to deal with her right now; all the questions she would no doubt ask me. _Why'd you leave if you were just going to come back?_ _How was it over there? Have you talked to Tommy yet?_ My head started to ache already with an ensuing headache. I paid the driver and headed up to the front door.

I stopped in front of the door with my hand on the handle. I took a deep breath before entering.

_Ready or not, here I come._


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

I entered the foyer slowly, listening for any sound that would tell me where Sadie was located. I was rewarded with the sound of water running in the kitchen. As quietly as I could, I made my way to the kitchen doorway and watched Sadie finish up a few dishes that were in the sink.

With a smile, I decided to be cruel. I snuck up behind her as quietly as I could, and with no warning I grabbed her sides and shouted. "BOO!"

"Wha-!" Sadie screeched, grabbing a chef's knife in the sink and spinning around to face her intruder. Seeing that it was me, she dropped the knife back into the sink and bellowed. "Jude Harrison! How dare you sneak up on me like that! What is WRONG with you?"

I couldn't answer, I was too busy clutching my sides in pain from laughing so hard. "S-Sadie, I'm so sorry, but that was hilarious!"

Sadie brushed past me and sat on a stool around the kitchen island and looked at me questioningly. "What are you doing back home? Is everything okay?"

I sat on a stool beside her and nodded. I stared at the granite top of the island while I spoke. "Yeah, everything is okay. I couldn't stay there anymore, it didn't feel right. I had to come home, I'm sorry I didn't call you to warn you, it was a last minute decision."

She stared at me for a moment before sighing and pulling me into a hug. "It's good to see you. I missed you, you know. I'm sorry I couldn't come and visit, Darius has me running around like it's the end of the world. I think I did more work in the last few months than I did back in high school." She laughed, and I joined in. We both know how things went in school. She had guys left and right trying to get her attention, willing to do anything for her for a date. That usually meant having them do her homework.

We sat and talked for a while, eventually making some coffee to sip at. When I finally looked at the time, I noticed that we had talked for hours. Six to be exact. It was seven in the evening already. I decided to go and relax for a bit in my old room. The flight home was taking a toll on me, and I knew I needed to crash soon. I said my goodnights to Sadie and headed upstairs.

I opened the bedroom door and took a look around. Nothing had changed. Sadie hadn't touched my room at all. This surprised me. I figured she would have turned it into a second closet, or mini gym.

"I couldn't do it." Sadie said from behind me in the doorway. I turned to face her questioningly. "I couldn't clear it out. I had a feeling you'd need to come home at some point. Although, I wasn't expecting it this soon, I was expecting it sometime. Kwest wanted to turn it into an office, but I wouldn't let him."

I smiled at her. "Thank you Sades. I really appreciate this." I gave her a hug. "I didn't think I'd be home this soon either, but shit happens, and here I am."

She laughed and backed out of the doorway, starting to head down the hall to her room. "I know. That's why I'm the number one sister." She smiled one last smile at me and disappeared into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

I looked back at my room, taking in everything I had left behind. Pictures and trinkets covered my dresser on one wall, posters and frames covered another way. I walked across the room to my bed and perched on the edge. _It's been a while, but THIS is home._ Feeling my body continue to drain of energy, I quickly changed into a pair of blue pajama shorts and a black tank-top, brushed my teeth and climbed into bed.

Before I could officially drift off, I grabbed my phone and set my alarm for 8 a.m. This, thanks to London's work schedule, was plenty of time for me to get up, get ready, and head out the door to work. I set my phone down on my nightstand and curled up under the covers and closed my eyes. Immediately I started to drift off, dreaming of the better days when I was still with Tommy.

Sorry it took so long to post this. Was gone for a couple days, and now I'm sick as a dog. I hope you guys are enjoying this. Please review and let me know what you think!

~*~V~*~


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

My alarm went off and I was jolted awake. I grabbed my phone to look at the time, eight in the morning, on the dot. I shut the alarm off and set my phone down, throwing my blankets off me in the process. I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was disheveled, make-up was smeared around the corners of my eyes, and I had creases on my cheek from my pillow.

I quickly undressed and hopped into the shower, using my routine I had grown so perfect at. Shampoo, condition, shave and body wash while my hair is conditioning, and then rinse everything and I was done. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a fluffy towel before heading back into my room.

I looked the clock on my side-table, 8:16. I smiled to myself, _Yup, I'm good._

Opening my closet door, I took a look at my options of clothing. Knowing I had a long day before me I opted for comfort, grabbing a pair of my comfy black jeans, a long-sleeve blue shirt, and my converse. I got dressed and put on a little bit of light make-up. I had been getting used to doing it, every time I had to go out in public in either London, or Manchester, they expected me to be done up impeccably. So I got the hang of making myself look presentable.

I headed downstairs and to the kitchen, expecting to be alone. I was wrong. Sadie sat at the kitchen island sipping at a cup of coffee and perusing over today's paper. I greeted her and made my way to the coffee maker. My saving grace; caffeine.

"You're up early. I'm shocked; normally you're not up till the sun is on the other side of the house. Did someone die?" She asked me.

I laughed as I grabbed a mug out of the cupboard. "No, Darius expects me to be in at nine. I'm curious as to what he has planned for me. Part of me is wary."

Sadie shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't crossed paths with D for a few days, he's had me on some wild goose chase trying to set things up for a show he wants to happen THIS weekend. I'm running out of steam and options."

Taking my full cup, I sat across from her on the island. "What show? Anything I can help with? I'm sure Darius is going to have me do some ridiculous stuff, maybe I can keep myself sane and help you out with it?"

She looked at me sadly. "I wish you could help, but Darius gave me strict instructions that I'm the only one to be doing this. I really, really could use help, but it's not going to happen." She sighed.

I was disappointed, but I knew that I couldn't do anything. What Darius said, goes. If he found out I was helping her, he'd probably fire the both of us. That reminded me; I looked over at the microwave and saw the time was 8:37. I had to hit the road to be at G-Major in time.

I said goodbye to Sadie who was also getting ready to head out the door to wherever she needed to be. I climbed into my Mustang and fired her up, shocked that she started up without a problem. Sadie came out of the front of the house, after locking up, and stood by my window.

"I hope you don't mind, I used the car a few times when mine was in the shop, or Kwest needed to borrow my car."

I smiled at her, "No, not at all. I actually appreciate that Sades. She started up without a problem, that's all I could ask for." I looked at the dashboard and back at her. "Besides, how can I complain? You filled the tank!"

She laughed at me and walked to her car, calling back at me. "What? You think I'd just use the car and not put gas in it? What kind of sister would I be?"

"The kind of sister I've known all my life!" I called back laughing before throwing the car in reverse and backing out of the drive.

I made it to G-Major with a few minutes to spare. I checked my phone as I got out of the car, making sure I wasn't missing any messages from anyone, especially Darius. I reached the front door, but as I was about to pull it open, I was thrown back by the door being violently pushed open from the inside. I landed on my ass with a hard _thump_.

I was about to protest profusely, but the words died in my throat with I took a look at the assailant. He was bending down to help me up, I could barely hear his apologies, all I could do was stare at him. He had dirty blonde hair, and emerald green eyes. His jaw was chiseled and I had to refrain from reaching to touch his face. I shook my head and focused.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"Y-yeah. I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was coming through the door." I replied shakily. He helped me get steady on my feet again.

He frowned, "No, I should be the one apologizing, I practically ran you over. Are you sure you're okay? Anything broken? I really should have been watching where I was going. My temper got a hold of me. Again, I'm sorry."

I smiled at him, he was sweet. "Yes, I'm alright. Would you mind if I asked what got you upset?"

He glanced back at the door and his frown deepened. "Darius has me working with a new producer I guess. He just told me I won't be working with Jim anymore."

_Jim? Must be a new employee Darius hired since I left._

I smiled sympathetically at him. "I know the feeling."

"Oh? You've worked here before?" He asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah. Actually, I work here again." I looked at my phone for the time. "And I'm late! Darius is going to kill me. I'm sorry I have to go!"

"Oh! Okay, I'm sorry again." He extended his hand to me and I shook it with a smile.

"I hope to see you in there sometime!" I said as I headed for the door and disappeared inside.

Kaily was at the reception desk again, and I greeted her. "Hey, how are you today?"

She looked nervous, "I'm alright, but you should get in there. Darius is already flipping that you're late."

"Shit." I muttered and headed for his office. "Thanks!"

"Good luck!" She replied.

I approached Darius' office door and knocked. A moment later I heard a muffled, "Enter." I opened the door to find Darius staring at his computer screen. "You're late." He said.

"Actually," I started. "I was on time. I got run over by some guy on his way out of building."

Darius looked at me and frowned. "I don't care. If someone runs you over, knock them out of your way and get your ass in here. I wanted you here for 9. Not 9:07."

I rolled my eyes at him and took a seat. "So what do you need me to do? Mop the floors, file some papers?"

"Produce a new artist's album." He said, his gaze had returned to the computer.

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "Produce? You said I had to start from the bottom to get back in the studio. How is producing starting from the bottom? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"One of my producers is leaving. I need you to take over." He said matter-of-factly.

I smiled, I couldn't help it. I figured Darius was going to have me do some menial tasks to work my way up, but starting with a producing job was better than I was expecting. "Okay, I can do that! Who am I producing?"

"His name is Keith. I had him run out for new strings, he should be back. I want you to head on over to Studio C and re-familiarize yourself with everything before he comes back. Now go."

I stood up and headed for the door, but stopped before exiting. "Darius?" He looked up at me. "Thank you."

He gave me one of his famous million-watt smile before saying, "You're welcome. Now go, I have work to do."

I laughed and walked out of the room. You could never accuse Darius of not being blunt. I made my way through the building and found myself in the studio. Everything was as I remembered it; the soundboard, the recording booth, everything.

I took a seat and re-familiarized myself with the layout, adjusting a couple knobs that were too askew in placement. I was about to get up and walk into the booth when a voice stopped me.

"What are you doing in here? Are you lost?"

I spun around and standing in the doorway was the attractive guy from outside.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

He was leaning against the doorframe and I couldn't help but check him out again. He was definitely muscular, not overly so. I couldn't help but smile seeing him, which in turn caused him to smile.

"Hey." I greeted, "What's up?"

He stepped into the room and took a seat beside me leaning his elbows on his knees, putting him within a foot of me. I could smell his aftershave, and it made me slightly lightheaded. "Well, I could ask you the same thing. Are you lost or something? I kind of need to get back to work."

Then it clicked. I was his new producer, and Darius didn't even tell him. I figured it was now or never, he was going to find out anyway.

"Well, actually. I'm in here to work too." I bit my lip, waiting to see if he could come to the same wave length as me. I watched him, his eyebrows furrowed.

"How is that possible? Darius has me in here, did he double book?" Apparently he couldn't connect to the same train of thought so I connected the dots for him.

"No… Not exactly. You know how you said you would be working with a new producer?" I paused, letting the question sink in before continuing. "Surprise? I'm your new producer, I guess."

His mouth popped openly slightly in shock. "You?"

I nodded meekly, not sure how he was going to react when it all hit him. He surprised me though; he sat back in his chair and looked into the recording booth for a moment. When he returned his gaze to me, he was smiling coyly. "Well then… This could be fun."

My jaw dropped a little, but I quickly recovered with a smile of my own. I decided to change the subject before I could say anything stupid. "So, what are you working on?"

"Oh, uh… I'm working on one song right now. I haven't stepped into the booth yet to record it, but the lyrics and music are done." He got up and walked to the couch nearby and grabbed his acoustic out of its case and returned to his chair. Setting it on his knee he smiled and asked, "Would you like to hear it?"

I smiled but only nodded, and he began to play.

_Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep_

_Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,  
Said, no more counting dollars  
We'll be counting stars, yeah we'll be counting stars_

_I see this life like a swinging vine  
Swing my heart across the line  
And my face is flashing signs  
Seek it out and you shall find  
Old, but I'm not that old  
Young, but I'm not that bold  
I don't think the world is sold  
I'm just doing what we're told  
I feel something so right  
Doing the wrong thing  
I feel something so wrong  
Doing the right thing  
I could lie, coudn't I, could lie  
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive_

_Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,  
Said, no more counting dollars  
We'll be counting stars_

_Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,  
Said, no more counting dollars  
We'll be, we'll be counting stars_

_I feel the love and I feel it burn  
Down this river, every turn  
Hope is a four-letter word  
Make that money, watch it burn  
Old, but I'm not that old  
Young, but I'm not that bold  
I don't think the world is sold  
I'm just doing what we're told  
I feel something so wrong  
Doing the right thing  
I could lie, could lie, could lie  
Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly_

_Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,  
Said, no more counting dollars  
We'll be counting stars_

_Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,  
Said, no more counting dollars  
We'll be, we'll be counting stars_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt_

_Everything that kills me makes feel alive_

_Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,  
Said, no more counting dollars  
We'll be counting stars_

_Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,  
Said, no more counting dollars  
We'll be, we'll be, counting stars_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt_

_Take that money  
Watch it burn  
Sink in the river  
The lessons are learnt _

I was blown away, he had a magnificent voice. He returned the acoustic to its case. "So? What did you think?" He asked me.

"That was amazing!" I grinned. "You are very talented!"

He smiled shyly, taking his seat again. "Thanks, I appreciate that. So, you're my new producer. What do we do now?"

I shrugged. "Well, I guess we can start with this one. You said you haven't recorded it yet, and I'd love to get you in the booth and be the fortunate one to work on it. It really is an amazing song Keith."

Something flashed across his face, I caught a glimpse of confusion. "You know my name? I don't even know your name…"

"Oh!" I gasped. In all the confusion of running into him outside, plus Darius telling me I was producing someone, and THEN finding out it was him, I had forgotten to introduce myself. I stuck my hand out. "I'm Jude, Jude Harrison. I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm such a ditz sometimes."

It apparently was his turn to gasp, he froze in mid-handshake, holding my hand his eyes widened. "Jude Harrison? THE Jude Harrison?"

I laughed and shivered slightly at the contact we were still making, "Uh, yeah… I guess you've heard of me?"

He smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I have. Now I'm the one who's fortunate to be working." He slowly and almost reluctantly released my hand.

"Thank you." I blushed.

"You're welcome." He replied. "So what brings you back to G-Major? I heard you had left for London some time ago."

I was about to reply, but a movement out in the building common area caught my attention.

There, in all of his confidence, surrounded by a few girls trying to get his attention, was none other than Tom Quincy.

_Shit._

Sorry it took so long for the next chapter! You know how the holidays are, busy busy busy! Thank you for reading, feel free to review!

Disclaimer: I do not own or have any ownership to the song "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic. (It's still a great song though!)


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

I panicked. The first instinct I had when I saw his face was to run, and I did… Right into the recording booth. I sat on the floor below the studio window to hide myself in case he decided to look in. I put my head in my hands and silently prayed that he wouldn't come in and see me, hoping that he still didn't know I was back.

I heard the booth's door click open. "Uh... Jude? Are you alright?"

When I heard his voice, I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down with me. "Keith! Get down here!"

Keith hit the floor with a thud, laughing lightly. "Mind on telling me what's going on? All of a sudden you go from all smiles, to fear, to fleeing. Did I do something?"

I shook my head letting out a slow breath. Before I could speak I quickly snuck a peek to see if Tom was still around. He was. _Shit, shit. _I looked back at Keith. "Tom is here."

His brow furrowed and he snuck a peek of his own. "You mean Tom Quincy?"

I nodded. Still confused, he asked. "Well, what's the problem then? Scared of him or something? Did you rip him off?"

"I broke his heart." I said. When he remained silent I continued, playing with one of my shoelaces. "I left a year ago to go to London. Which I'm sure you know about, everyone does. But, what most people don't know… Is… We were engaged, and I broke it off to leave. I hurt him, but I can't face him. Not yet, at least. I'm scared of the confrontation, of the fact that he might be mad at me, that he won't ever want to see me again. I saw him yesterday at a café; he was with a woman, who I'm assuming is his new girl."

He relaxed as I rambled on, knowing that it wasn't because of him. He scooted a little bit closer to me and put an arm around my shoulder as if to comfort me. "Jude,… I know we don't know each other at all. But, can I offer you a tiny bit of advice?"

I looked up at him. His eyes captivated me, the emerald color was beautiful. His cologne was intoxicating, and I instinctively leaned in. I nodded my head, unable to speak.

"Jude," He started, trying to find the words. "You left, not because you didn't love him, but because you wanted to expand your horizons in music. Am I right?"

Again, I nodded and he continued. "Then you did what you had to do. If he couldn't or still can't see that, then he doesn't deserve you and you shouldn't even bother worrying about it. If he's got a new girl, so what? Find someone else who makes you happy." He gently squeezed my shoulder. I don't know if he felt it, the spark that tingled my skin from the contact, or the shiver that ran down my spine, but I know for sure that I wasn't imagining it. He seemed to sense it too, his pupils dilated slightly.

He slowly started to lean in, but the connection was broken when we heard muffled talking coming in from the studio. We both froze, listening to see if the sound would come closer. After a moment or two, the sounds drifted away. I stole a quick glance and found both the studio and the common area empty.

Keith and I looked at each other, and I smiled shyly, blushing. "I guess we should get to work…"

"Yeah…" He agreed, but neither of us moved for a minute. Eventually sitting on the floor got uncomfortable, and unfortunately I was the first to move.

I stood up and looked through the window. There was no one around, and it was safe to return to the main studio room. Keith stood up beside me looking through the window; he was so close still I could feel his body heat radiating towards me. I looked at him quickly before saying, "Let's get started. If you want to set up, I'm going to go check some levels and we'll get to work."

"Alright." He said and reluctantly went to go set up the booth for himself. I returned to the soundboard and checked the levels for some key components. After a couple minutes, Keith sat on the stool in front of the microphone and gave me thumbs up.

I put on the headphones and spoke to him through the microphone in front of me. "Alright, let's do some sound checks for vocals. Give me a few bars."

%%%%%%%%

We worked for a few hours on the song. I completely forgot about Tommy and couldn't help but notice little things about Keith. If he didn't like anything, his nose scrunched up slightly, or his eyes would shine when he was happy. I couldn't help but begin to feel butterflies for this stranger.

I looked at the clock on the wall and it read 12:45 p.m. My stomach started to rumble, so I looked at Keith. "I'm starving, wanna go get something to eat?"

He smiled at me and nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great."

We gathered up our things, I saved everything on the laptop, and we were on our way. We crossed through the common area into the lobby, and finally outside into the brisk air.

"So, where do you want to go?" I asked him.

Keith shrugged, "Not sure, but I'm not picky though. We can drive around for a little bit until we find somewhere that looks good."

I smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Your car or mine?"

"Mine, if you don't mind." He replied, heading off towards his truck. When we approached, I headed towards the passenger's side door. Keith beat me to it though, opening the door for me chivalrously.

I murmured a shy _Thank You_ before climbing into the cab. He jogged around to the other side and climbed up in beside me, turning the engine at the same time. He pulled out of the parking space and out into the flow of traffic. During the drive, I couldn't help but notice everything about him again. We were so close, in a confined area. Both of our arms were on the center console, merely inches from each other. His scent was everywhere in the cab of the truck and I tried hard to not breathe in deeply.

Eventually we decided on a remote restaurant just on the outskirts of the city. Keith parked the truck, killed the ignition and was out of the truck before I could unbuckle my seatbelt. Then my door was open and his hand was out to me to help me down. I blushed and thanked him again. I took his hand and hopped down. When my feet hit the pavement, I expected him to let go, but he didn't. We just stood there for a moment, holding hands, and I couldn't find anything wrong with it. I smiled, and he returned it, squeezing my hand slightly.

With the truck locked up, we headed inside, my arm linked through his. The hostess greeted us and led us to a table towards the back. When we reached the table, the hostess placed our menus at our seats and told us our server would be out to take our orders. I reached to pull my chair out, but realized Keith was already holding it waiting for me to sit down. _This man is earning some major brownie points. He's such a gentleman._

After he had taken his seat we perused the menu for a few minutes in silence. Keith broke the silence first. "Have you been here before?"

I shook my head and put my menu down. "No, have you?"

"No." He replied. "But it seems like a nice little place. The menu looks good."

I hummed in agreement and looked down at it for a moment before looking back at him. The waitress then arrived, introducing herself. We ordered our food and got to talking. We talked about favorite music, favorite movies, and our likes and dislikes. After what felt like a short time, the waitress returned with our food. We ate in silence for a little while. When the waitress came back to see how we were doing, I noticed someone a couple tables over. Someone who definitely noticed me. _Tommy_.

I felt the blood drain from my face. Keith noticed something was wrong and looked in the direction I was and immediately saw what was causing my distress. He told the waitress that we were all set and asked for the check.

It was too late; he was already walking towards us.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

I began to panic, but before I could fly from my seat I felt Keith's foot tap my leg then rub up and down my calf slightly, as if to say "_I'm here if you need me._" I calmed immensely.

And then… He was there. "Jude, I didn't know you were back."

I took a sip of my water, suddenly my throat was dry. When I knew I could form words I replied. "Yeah, I've been back for a day or so now…"

Tommy looked at me for a moment, glanced at Keith and back to me immediately. "Can we talk for a minute in private please?"

I looked at Keith, his eyes gave me the insurance and strength I needed to look Tommy square in the eye and say, "Not right now, Tommy. Maybe another time. Right now, Keith and I need to get back to the studio and finish working." I looked at Keith, "Are you ready to go?"

He smiled at me and said, "Yeah, I'm all set."

We stood up and gathered our things; Keith threw a few bills on the table, not waiting for the waitress to come back with the check. Keith put his hand on my lower back and guided me to the front door leaving Tommy staring after us with a bewildered look on his face.

When we hit the fresh air outside, I let out a sigh of relief. My heart was pounding through my chest, and I had a head rush from the adrenaline. Neither of us said anything until we were in the truck and on the way back to G-Major.

"You did great back there, Jude. I wasn't sure what you were going to do, and you surprised me." He said to me.

I smiled and shrugged. "I wasn't absolutely sure what I was going to do myself. I just knew I wasn't ready to talk to him yet, never mind talking to him alone."

He nodded his head but didn't reply for a minute or two. "Well, let's not think on it anymore. We've got work to do!" He glanced at me with a smile. "You've got a mediocre song you need to make into a tolerable one for the radio."

I smacked him lightly on the shoulder, noticing we were pulling into the G-Major parking lot. "You're song isn't mediocre. It's brilliant. I don't think I'll need to do much work on it, honestly. Darius is definitely going to love it."

We pulled into a space and headed into the building. Almost to the studio, I suddenly didn't feel so good. I headed for the ladies room and called back to Keith. "I'll be right there, need to use the ladies room!"

"Alright!" He called back, but I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.

With more force than I meant to use, I slammed through the bathroom door, immediately locking it behind me. I checked to make sure no one else was in the room with me before I crumbled on the floor in the corner.

My body wracked with sobs, and tears I couldn't stop from running down my face. _Those eyes_. They looked like they were saying, "You betrayed me." They haunted me.

And then, I had a moment of clarity. If he, Tommy, truly wanted me, he would have come to London to find me. He would have done something, other than letting me leave. Just knowing that… It gave me a new confidence. _If Tommy was strong enough to move on after I left, and find a new woman. Why can't I be happy?_

Keith's face popped into my head and I smiled immediately. He was so caring for someone who didn't know me at all. He had shown me compassion when I needed it and didn't ask for anything in return. I knew he was in the studio waiting for me to come back, so I pushed myself up off the floor and stood in front of the sink. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed something different. I looked, calm, almost happy. I wondered how long it would last.

I turned the faucet on and splashed a little bit of cold water on my face and patted it dry with a paper towel, then headed out the door returning to the room which was now occupied with not just Keith, but Kwest also. The both of them were seated in front of the soundboard.

As I approached, I could hear Keith was playing what we had so far of his track. Kwest was bobbing his head to the beat, and seemed to be enjoying it. Just knowing that gave me a feeling of satisfaction. When I entered the room Keith looked up at me and smiled brilliantly, and I returned it happily. Kwest noticed Keith's attention wasn't on the song anymore and spun around to see me.

"Hey, Harrison! What's up?" Kwest greeted me.

I grabbed a spare chair from the corner and rolled up to them. "Not too much, you like the song?"

He turned the volume down and looked back at me with a smile. "I've gotta admit, Jude. This song is good, really good. It'll be a hit, I can tell. Keith here is a talented man, the song is great, but you're helping it become even better. I'm proud of you. Great job."

With that he stood up and headed for the door. "I'll let you two get back to work, I've gotta get some stuff done myself. I'll catch up with you guys another time. Again, that song is great. Keep at it!" And with that, he was out the door.

Keith and I sat in silence for a moment, and I looked down at my hands. Then a hand came into my view and a finger crooked under my chin lifting it up to make me look at Keith. He looked into my eyes for a moment, almost as if he was searching for something. But then he smiled. "Let's get to work, boss. We've got a hit to finish and I can't do it without you."

I smiled sheepishly at his compliment and nodded my head. We spent the next four hours working hard on his song to get it on a disk. Darius was going to want to hear it soon enough, and we wanted to have something spectacular to blow him away.

When the last note finished ringing through the studio speakers, and the final touches were added. We burned it onto a blank disk and put it aside for Darius to listen to.

I started gathering my things to get ready to head home when Keith asked me, "Hey, are you doing anything tonight?"

I paused and looked at him, wondering what he was thinking. "Um… No… Not that I know of."

"Well," He began, taking a step towards me. "Would you like to go out to dinner or something? My treat."

My mouth popped open in slight shock, and I recovered quickly. "Yeah, sure. That'd be great." I smiled.

He grinned. "Great, I can pick you up at 8. We should exchange numbers."

"Yeah, we probably should." I laughed.

We both gave each other our cell phone numbers and headed out to the parking lot. After we exited the building, we both stopped. Our cars were on opposite sides of the parking lot, and we would be parting ways here.

"I'll text you my address so you know where to go." I told him, fumbling in my bag for my car keys. Anything to keep myself from staring into his eyes in awe.

"Alright, sounds good. I'll see you then." He replied, taking a step in the direction of his truck. "I can't wait."

I looked up at him, he was grinning like he'd won the lottery. It was infectious and I couldn't help but grin back. "Yeah, neither can I. I'll see you at 8."

"See you at 8."

We both turned around and walked to our cars. I don't know about him, but I was grinning like an idiot. When I reached my car, I unlocked it quickly and slid in. I started the engine and gripped my steering wheel, I was so excited I didn't know what to do. Then I thought, _What am I going to wear?!_

I thought about Sadie and her huge wardrobe. I was sure she would let me borrow something from her. I threw the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot, and headed down the road in the direction of home. The whole ride, I thought about Keith.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

I pulled into the driveway, killed the ignition, and threw open my door. I made it to the front step in record time and flung open the front door.

"Sadie?" I called into the house.

"Upstairs!" She replied to me. I smiled, _Great, she's probably already in her room._

I took the stairs two at a time and walked down the hallway to her bedroom door. Sadie was seated at her make-up table brushing her hair. She looked at me in the mirror for a moment before grinning. "I know that look, who is it?"

I realized I was smiling like an idiot and covered my mouth, but it was too late. I knew if I didn't answer, she would only hound me until I gave in. "His name is Keith."

"Ooh!" Sadie teased. "Is he cute?"

I nodded, feeling a blush creep across my face. "Yeah. He's pretty gorgeous."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Tell me about him!" She got up and crossed the room to her bed, sitting down. She patted a spot next to her and I took it. I began describing what he looked like, then how we met. Afterwards, I told her about our lunch date and running into Tommy. Sadie's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't prod for any further details, thankfully.

"Anyway," I started. "I was wondering if I could borrow something of yours for my date with him tonight."

Sadie jumped up off the bed with a giant grin. "Of course you can!" She exclaimed. "Let's see what I've got."

Sadie all but skipped to her closet and started to rummage through the clothing hanging on her hangers. After a minute of tearing her closet apart, Sadie tossed multiple dresses on her bed beside me. When she was finished she stopped and faced me with her hands on her hips.

"Up." She said.

Confused, I asked. "What?"

"Stand. Up." She ordered.

I did as I was told, suddenly nervous. Sadie came and stood in front of me, first looking me up and down before looking at the clothes on her bed. I could see her contemplating her choices before she finally reached for a knee-length red dress. "Try this on." She told me, shoving it in my direction.

I held the dress for a moment, then back at her. "Sadie, I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself. I just wanted to peek at what you had."

She shook her head. "Nope. It's you're first date with a cute guy, I'm not letting you screw this up."

I gaped at her. "Sadie, I'm not going to screw anything up. It's just a date. We don't even know what we're doing yet. I don't want to dress up all…" I waved at the dress in my hand, "Like this, if we end up going to a movie or something. I don't want to look ridiculous."

"Jude," Sadie began, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "For one, I'm not going to let you leave this house looking ridiculous. Nor am I going to let you leave this house in something that you'd wear to a dump. Just trust me, please?"

I sighed but nodded, "Fine, but I get final say."

Sadie rolled her eyes at me, "Whatever. Now get going, we have quite a few to try on!"

I slumped out of Sadie's room, dragging my feet, and headed to my bathroom to change into the dress. I stripped out of my clothes as quickly as I could and threw on the satin material. I checked how it looked in the mirror; immediately I hated it. When I entered Sadie's room again, she looked me over.

Sadie scrunched up her face, "No." She said flatly, throwing another dress at me.

For the next 45 minutes, I tried on more clothing than a model at a runway show. My shoulders were beginning to ache with the putting on and removing of the clothes. We finally agreed on something though. Sadie and I stood in front of her full length mirror. I was clothed in a form fitting dress that ended a couple inches above the knees. The top portion had thick straps and was a deep scarlet red with black lace embroidered into it leading down to the flat black bottom of the dress. I wore Sadie's "seductive" strappy black heels that matched. I had to admit it, Sadie knew what she was doing, and I felt great in it.

Sadie was grinning beside me, "Jude, you look hot! Keith is going to drool over you tonight."

"I hope so. I love this dress, Sadie. Thank you for letting me borrow it." I smiled at her sheepishly.

She put her hands on my shoulders. "Jude, you look better than I ever did in this. You can keep it. Think of it as a 'welcome back' gift."

I hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Sadie!"

She returned my hug and laughed. "You're welcome, now finish getting ready!"

Sadie shoved me into her seat at the make-up table and started to fix my hair. "I'm going to curl it." She said, plugging in her curling iron.

I looked at Sadie's supply of make-up and didn't even know what to do. Suddenly the nerves had gotten to me and I forgot how to do anything.

"Go subtle." Sadie said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "You don't need much. Just some eye shadow, a little bit of mascara, and a light gloss on the lips.

I nodded and got to work. Another 25 minutes later, and I was done. Looking the mirror, I didn't even recognize myself. I had to agree with Sadie, I looked good, really good.

"Here," Sadie said. "Use this. I want it back though." She handed me a sheer black shawl.

"Thanks, Sadie." I smiled and draped it over my shoulders. "Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it."

She hugged me gently, to not ruin the finished product she created. "Anytime. It's not every day where I get to help you out like this. Now, it's almost 8. You texted him your address right?"

I nodded. In the middle of trying on dressed, I managed to remember to send it to him.

"Good." She said. "Let's go downstairs. It shouldn't be long."

We made our way downstairs and I started to pace the living room nervously. Sadie perched herself on the couch and watched me with a knowing smile.

"Jude, relax. You look great, and you're going to be alright. Just relax."

I opened my mouth to reply, but I was cut off by the doorbell ringing. I looked at Sadie with my mouth open, frozen. She waved at me to go to the door and open it. Somehow I managed to do it.

I took a deep breath and grabbed the handle. Blowing out the air I was holding I opened the door. "Hey, Keith, you're right on-"

It wasn't Keith standing in my doorway. Once again, I was face to face with Tom Quincy.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sorry it took so long to get a new chapter up everyone! You know how the holidays are! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up after New Years. I wish every one of you a Merry Christmas (or Happy Holiday for those who don't celebrate), and a very safe and Happy New Year!

~V~


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

I froze, Sadie gasped, and Tommy just stood there.

After a moment I realized I wasn't breathing and let out the air I was holding. "Tommy," I began, clearing my throat. "What are you doing here?"

He shifted uncomfortably in the doorway and ran a hand through his hair. "Can I come in for a minute, please?"

I looked over my shoulder at Sadie, who nodded at me and walked to the kitchen. When she had disappeared from view I finished opening the door and moved out of the way to let him in. I shut the door behind him and walked over to the couch and perched against the edge.

We sat in silence for a minute before I finally spoke. "Why are you here, Tom?"

Suddenly, it was as if a switch was flipped. Tommy stood up straight and looked me dead in the eye. "I could be asking you the same thing, Harrison. Why are you back home? Why didn't you call me to let me know you were coming back? You know, I could have picked you up at the airport or something."

It was my turn to be defensive. I stood up straight and came almost nose to nose with him.

"First of all Quincy; Why I'm home is of no concern to you. Let me rephrase that, it's none of your business. Second of all; Nobody knew I was coming home, not even Sadie, so why would I call you? After all, I'm pretty sure you're new love interest wouldn't appreciate you going out of your way to pick up your ex-fiance. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

He opened his mouth to retort when the doorbell cut him off. His face turned a furious red at the interruption and he burst. "Who the hell could that be right now?!"

I scoffed at him as I went to answer the door. "Again I say, none of your business."

I turned the handle and was face to face with a handsomely dressed Keith. He wore black slacks, paired with a black dress shirt with dark grey pin-stripes and black dress shoes.

I greeted him first, "Hey, you clean up nice!" Stepping aside to let him into the foyer.

"Thanks, you look beautiful." He gushed, and I couldn't help but smile shyly.

When Tommy came into view, Keith froze. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I interrupting something?"

"Yes!" Tommy barked, startling Keith.

I calmly told him. "No, Tommy was just leaving. Are you ready to head out?"

Keith nodded his head. "Yeah, I am." He held his arm out to me and I placed mine through it. I called back to Sadie in the kitchen, whom I know was listening the whole time. "Sadie, I'm leaving. I'll be home late, don't wait up."

She came skipping out of the kitchen with a sly grin on her face. "Oh don't worry about me, Jude. I'll be just fine. Stay out as late as you need! Have fun!"

At that moment ,we left without another word. Leaving Sadie grinning, and Tommy seething.

Keith and I walked in silence to his truck where he opened the door for me and held my hand to help me up. _Such a gentleman._

After a few moments, we were on the road. "Have you picked any destination for this evening?"

He smiled at the road. "I have."

"Would you care to share?" I asked, smiling lightly.

He grinned now. "I would, but it's a surprise."

I bit my lip curiously. "Can I have a hint?"

"Yes," He started, I perked up. "It's something, that should make you happy."

I pouted. "Some hint…"

We laughed and I settled into my seat, anticipating any hint of where we could be going by watching the road. The sun was setting on the horizon and my nerve-endings were on fire.

After a half hour of driving, Keith pulled off the main road onto a dirt one. Suddenly I was confused, and intrigued. Another ten minutes on this road brought us to a beautiful lakefront. Keith put the truck into park and killed the engine.

I giggled, "Are you planning on killing me and dumping the body in the water?"

He laughed in reply, "No, but I guarantee you will like this."

He exited the car and made his way around to help me out. We walked up a short path to a flat grassy area just barely visible in the last glimpses of light from the sunset. On the ground was a blanket with a picnic basket, acoustic guitar case, and telescope off to the side.

We settled onto the soft fabric and he opened the basket, pulling out a small electric lantern.

"I brought one of these, because I'm pretty sure you're about as keen on wearing your food as I am." He laughed and I joined in.

As he unpacked the basket by the light of the lantern, I looked over his features. He was handsome, no doubt about that, but looking at him like this, only one face came to mind. Tommy.

_Oh Lord, help me. I'm in trouble._


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

"Okay," Keith started. "Would you like some wine?"

I nodded, "Yes, thanks."

He poured two glasses of wine and we sat in silence for a moment. I took the opportunity to look around. The lake was calm, almost glass-like, and the tall grass around us fluttered lightly in the barely there breeze. The sun was gone below the horizon and stars began to twinkle into view. The sights were breath-taking and I got lost in the visuals until Keith shook me out of my thoughts.

"You alright?" He asked.

I nodded and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, this view is beautiful. Thank you for taking me here."

"It's my pleasure. Are you hungry?"

"Famished!" I replied.

We ate the delicious dinner he packed of spaghetti and meatballs, and picked at the dessert of fresh fruit slices.

We sat in silence for a little while, staring up at the stars. Keith was the first to break the silence. "Would you like to look through the telescope?"

I couldn't help but nod as he stood up and held a hand out to me. Shyly, I let him help me off the blanket and over to the telescope waiting off to the side. He looked through the end and made adjustments on the nobs before taking a step back.

"Here, take a look." He said, gently pulling me towards him. I leaned forward slightly to look through the eyepiece. Beautiful stars and far away planets were suddenly in sight and I gasped breathlessly.

"It's beautiful, Keith. You never realize how vast the universe is until you really take the time to look." I told him. A few seconds later, I felt the heat of Keith's body close to mine and his hand rested upon my lower back.

"They're not the only beautiful thing in sight, tonight." He said. I stood up straight and looked at him through the darkness. I couldn't see his face with the lantern behind him on the blanket.

Suddenly I was uncomfortable.

I took a step away slowly, clearing my throat. I noticed the guitar still lay untouched and I motioned my and towards it to distract and change the subject.

"You brought an acoustic. Were you planning on playing another new song?" I asked him.

He chuckled, "Uh… Actually, I was hoping, maybe you'd play something."

I sat myself back down on the blanket and gathered myself so I could look at him again. "Me? Why would you want to hear me play?"

He opened up the case and grabbed the guitar before sitting down across from me. "Well, maybe because you are an amazing artist, a wonderful producer, and because I want to hear you sing in person."

"Oh… Okay." I said quietly, taking the instrument from him and perching it on my lap. "I have no idea what to play."

Keith shrugged and settled into his spot. "Play anything. The first thing that comes into your head, play it."

I sighed and closed my eyes for a minute. I took a big breath in, Tommy's face came to mind, and I exhaled. I started to play.

_You made a mistake  
On the day that you met me and lost your way  
You saw all the signs but you let it go  
You closed your eyes_

_I should've told you to leave  
'Cause I knew all the time you couldn't handle me  
But you're hard to resist  
When you're on your knees begging me_

_I'll tear you down, I'll make you bleed eternally  
Can't help myself from hurting you when it's hurting me  
I don't have wings, to fly with me won't be easy  
'Cause I'm not an angel, I'm not an angel_

_Hate being that wall  
That you hit when you feel like you gave it all  
I keep taking the blame  
When we both know that I'll never change_

_I'll tear you down, I'll make you bleed eternally  
Can't help myself from hurting you when it's hurting me  
I don't have wings, to fly with me won't be easy  
'Cause I'm not an angel, I'm not an angel_

_I wasn't always this way, I used to be the one with the halo  
That disappeared when I had my first taste  
And fell from grace, it left me in this place  
Now I'm starting to think maybe you like it_

_I'll tear you down, I'll make you bleed eternally  
Can't help myself from hurting you when it's hurting me  
I don't have wings, to fly with me won't be easy  
'Cause I'm not an angel, I'm not an angel_

_I'm not an angel  
I'm not an angel  
I'm not an angel  
I'm not an angel_

I finished strumming and set the guitar down between us. We sat in silence for a few minutes; Keith, again, was the first to speak.

"Let's, uh… Let's get going. I'll bring you home." He stood up and returned the acoustic to its case. I rose to my feet and Keith packed up the basket and blanket.

"I'll come back later for the telescope. No one comes down this way, it'll be okay." He said, and I only nodded. The air between us was just too uncomfortable for me to speak. The song had let out so much that was hurting me. I felt it, and I knew Keith felt it.

We drove back to my place in in silence. When we arrived, he walked me to the door. "Well, I had a good night…" He said.

I fidgeted uncomfortably, "Yeah, me too. Thank you, Keith."

"Yeah, no problem… So, I'll see you at work tomorrow?" He asked me, sounding hopeful.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there with bells on."

We both laughed lightly, and stood their awkwardly. I decided a hug was enough for now and leaned in towards him and he reciprocated the motion. When I went to place my hands around him for a hug, his lips were on mine. Shocked, I stepped back quickly.

"Uh… Good night, Keith." I stammered.

He straightened his shirt and took a step back to his truck. "Yeah, uh… Good night, Jude."

He walked to the driveway and hopped into his truck, quickly started the ignition. I watched him as he pulled out of the drive and drove down the road.

I stood there for a minute contemplating on what had happened. Suddenly, I didn't want to think about it anymore and I shook my head. Before I could unlock the door, it flew open, and I was met with Sadie's curious eyes. She grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside.

"Talk. Now. Tell me everything!"


End file.
